Our Top 5 Essential Oils – from Health to Kitchen

The plant kingdom – which provides the essential oils – has been a resource for beauty enhancing, medicinal, spiritual, aromatic, or therapeutic purposes since the beginning of time. May it be for ceremonies, beauty care, food preparation and preservation, as incense, or for perfumes, essential oil has been proven to be beneficial in a myriad of situations.

Whether being used in an aroma diffuser, during Ayurveda massages, or for pulse point stimulation, the significance of essential oils remains prevalent in alternative medicine. Join us for an introductory post about our top 5 essentials oils, their benefits, and uses.

Lavender

The most obvious of all obvious choices: lavender essential oil just has to be on every top list. If you are just starting to dive into the multiplex world of essential oils, lavender will be your go-to choice. And rightfully so! Its many beneficial properties make it fit for application in many scenarios – from allergies to anxiety and from small cuts and wounds to bug repellent.

However, lavender essential oil is most renowned for its calming effect and relaxing smell. It can even help induce and regularize insomnia patient’s sleeping patterns! There have even been studies on elderly patients which showed an increase in sleep regularity when their prescribed insomnia medicine was replaced with lavender essential oil. A couple of drops of lavender essential oil were applied to their pillow to help elicit a relaxing sleep.

Lavender’s calming scent transforms its essential oil almost into a tonic for the nerves and helps with anxiety issues. The refreshing notes of the scent help to relieve emotional and mental exhaustion, also helping with migraines, headaches, and even depression.

Lemon

The essential oil of lemons is obtained by cold pressing its rind, not the actual fruit. Like with a lot of fruit, the lemon rind is the most nutrient-rich part. And oh what amazing things this essential oil can do!

For example, it has been found out that lemon essential oil can protect your food from human pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella. This combined with the refreshing citrusy scent makes for the perfect antibacterial kitchen cleaner. Its natural disinfectant properties are the ideal replacement for abrasive alcohol or bleach. Next time you have to clean your countertops or free your shower from moldy bits – think of this blog post and use lemon essential oil instead!

The lemon aroma of the essential oil does not only freshen up your bathroom and kitchen but can also be used in your laundry. In case you accidentally left your washing in the machine for too long, worry not. Just add a couple of lemon essential oil drops in with the load and your clothes will have that freshly washed scent.

Cinnamon

Who doesn’t love the rustic and spicy smell of cinnamon when the leaves start to fall from the trees? But true cinnamon lovers know: this power spice can have an almost heart-warming effect all year-round. And not without reason! Thanks to its circulation-boosting abilities cinnamon essential oil can help you keep your arteries clear and avoid plaque buildup. Nitric oxide usually is produced in the interior surface of arteries. However, when plaque builds up, the ability to produce nitric oxide is decreased. Cinnamon helps to foster the nitric oxide production and therefore is highly recommended to patients who suffered a heart attack or a stroke.

Furthermore, cinnamon essential oil can help clear mucus from your throat and nasal passages. A little recipe here is to drink a glass of warm lemon water with honey and a drop of cinnamon essential oil in the morning for a little immune boost. This concoction, due to cinnamon essential oil’s anti-inflammatory properties, also makes for an ideal remedy for a sore throat and mouth sores.

Sweet Orange

The peel of the orange is where the fruit stores all of its immune-boosting effects. So, just like with lemon essential oil, the orange oil is also gained by cold pressing the rind. The in the peel contained limonene defends the immune system against oxidative stress. It even has some cancer-fighting abilities!

However, sweet orange essential oil is probably mostly known for its mood-boosting effect. The fresh scent alone evokes happy feelings and brings pleasant thoughts to the mind. It creates a joyful atmosphere and can bring stability and joy into an emotionally tumultuous day. Research suggests that sweet orange essential oil reduces the pulse rate and cortisol which is released in a state of anxiety. Through the control of the cortisol level, it has a hormone-balancing effect.

Eucalyptus

That distinct smell from your chest rub pomade? That’s glorious eucalyptus! And it is used in these rubs for a very good reason. Eucalyptus works as an expectorant and is ideal for battling coughing, runny nose, and mucus plaque in your throat. Eucalyptus essential oil also cleanses your body from harmful toxins that can make you feel sick. So basically, whenever you feel a cold or the beginning of a flu creeping up on you, reach for that eucalyptus essential oil! A very effective way of utilizing the powers of this plant is to mix several essential oil drops into your diffuser before going to sleep. Your body will be able to benefit from the effects for the whole night and you can wake up with a clear nose.

It has even been proven to be effective in cases of sinusitis! Patients given the medicine that contained eucalyptus essential oil showed faster improvements in their health than the patients who had the medicine without the wonder plant.

The refreshing scent and effect of the oil also has positive effects on mental exhaustion. People who tend to feel sluggish or are stressed out can benefit from the cooling impact and have their spirit rejuvenated.

Conclusion

Whether for mood-boosting, relaxation help, or a pick me up fragrance – find your answer in the world of essentials oils. Maybe you can try to replace some of your prescribed cold medicines with an essential oil alternative? Or try to add a new immune system boosting routine into your lifestyle? Essential oils provide so many uses and possibilities and Anjou invites you to vigorously play around with them!

Get an introductory set of 6 essential oils here or a more advanced and versatile one with 12 different oils here!